ius had picked up.

CHAPTER XIII.

PAUL MAKES A PURCHASE.

It is not very pleasant to be informed that your house is to be
entered by burglars. Still, if such an event is in prospect, it is
well to know it beforehand. While Paul felt himself fortunate in
receiving the information which Julius gave him, he also felt anxious.
However well he might be prepared to meet the attack, he did not like
to have his mother and Jimmy in the house when it was made. Burglars
in nearly every case are armed, and if brought to bay would doubtless
use their arms, and the possible result of a chance shot was to be
dreaded. On Monday night, therefore, if that should be the one decided
upon by the burglars, he made up his mind that his mother and Jimmy
should sleep out of the house. He lost no time in proposing this plan
to his mother.

"Mother," said he on reaching home, "I have had some news to-day."

"Not bad, I hope?" said Mrs. Hoffman.

"I leave you to judge," answered Paul, with a smile. "We are to have
visitors next Monday evening."

"Visitors, Paul? Who are they?"

"Mr. Jack Morgan and Mr. Marlowe."

"Are they friends of yours? I never heard you mention them."

"I never saw them that I know of."

"Then why did you invite them here?"

"They invited themselves."

"I don't understand it, Paul. If you don't know them, why should they
invite themselves here?"

"Perhaps you'll understand me better, mother, when I tell you their
business."

"What is it?"

"They are burglars."

"Burglars!" repeated Mrs. Hoffman, turning suddenly pale and sinking
back into a chair, for she had been standing.

"Yes, mother. They have found out, though I can't tell how, that there
are some bonds and plate in the safe upstairs, and that is their
reason for coming."

"How did you find out, Paul? What a dreadful thing!" gasped Mrs.
Hoffman.

"It will be worse for them than for us, I am thinking," said Paul. "It
was a boy told me--a boy that lives with them. I'll tell you about
it."

He gave his mother an account of what had already been communicated to
him.

"Oh, dear, we shall be murdered in our beds!" exclaimed his mother, in
dismal accents.

Upon this Jimmy began to cry, but Paul only laughed.

"I thought you were braver, Jimmy," he said. "If I buy you a pistol,
will you promise to use it?"

"I don't know," said Jimmy, dubiously. "I should be afraid to shoot a
great big man. Would he have a pistol, too?"

"Probably."